Improvement in butter-preserving firkins



JOHN WILHELM, OF ORBVILLE, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTER-PRESERVING FIRKINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. {65,288., dated July 6, 1875; application liled April 24, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WILHELM, of Orrville, in the county of Wayne and State of Ollio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Butter-Firkins, of which the following is a specification:

` The figure is a longitudinal section of a butter-iirkin, to which my improvement has been applied.

The object of this invention is to surround butter packed in rkins with brine or pickle, so as to prevent it from becoming rancid.`

The invention relates to a butter-rkin so constructed as to adapt it for receiving brine or pickle, which, b v surrounding the butter on all sides, shall prevent it becoming rancid.

The construction of the tirkin is as follows: A represents an ordinary butter-tirkin, about the construction of which there is nothing new. Upon the bottom of the irkiu A is placed a bottom or head, B, made of thin steamed wood, and to the lower side of which are attached thin cross-strips b from an eighth to a fourth of an inch thick. Upon the bottom B is placed a hoop, U, made of thin steamed wood, to the outer side of which are attached strips or cleats c of wood from an eighth to a fourth of an inch thick. The hoop C is made of adepth equal to about halt" the depth of the rkin A. Upon the upper edge ot' the hoop C is placed another similar hoop, D, also provided with cleats d and extending up almost to the upper head of the iirkin. made narrower and more ot'themused. Upon the upper edge of the hoop D is placed a top or head, E, having cross-cleats c attached to its upper side, and upon which the top head of the rkin A rests. g By this construction a It' desired, the hoops O D may be space will be left all around between the butter and the rkin to receive brine or pickle to prevent air or the wood of the rkin from coming in contact with the butter and spoiling it. To introduce the brine, I employ a tube, F, which is funnel-shaped at its upper end and contracted at its lower end. A rod, G, with handle g1 serves to adjust the plug gv2 to close or open the lower end of said tube. The latter, as will be readily understood, must be sufficiently' enlarged at some point to allow the liquid to pass by the plug when raised or drawn up. When the tube is to be used the plug g2 is forced down uto close its mouth and the brine poured in. The tube is then inserted in the hole in the top of the rkin and forced down through the butter. The plug g2 is then drawn up by means of rod tg, and the brine or pickle discharges into the Iirkin. When the liquid has risen to the top of the flrkin the tube is withdrawn and the hole in its head closed by a plug. The tube is made ot' suicient length to induce,` when lled, a considerable hydrostaticpressure, and thus cause the liquid to force itself out through the butter.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Batent- The combination of the heads B E, having cross-bars or cleats b e attached to their outer sides, and the hoops O D, one, two, or more, having cleats o d attached to their outer sides, with an ordinary butter-rkin, A, substantially as herein shownvand described.

JOHN WILHELM.

Witnesses:

H. M. WILSON, I. L. BLAGKMAN. 

